Marvel confirms Creed director Ryan Coogler for Black Panther

Director Ryan Coogler's Creed got rave reviews, box-office success and a Golden Globe for Sylvester Stallone. Now, the director has been rewarded as Marvel has officially signed him to helm their upcoming superhero flick – Black Panther.

"We are fortunate to have such an esteemed filmmaker join the Marvel family," producer Kevin Feige said in a statement (via Time). "The talents Ryan showcased in his first two films easily made him our top choice to direct Black Panther. Many fans have waited a long time to see Black Panther in his own film, and with Ryan we know we've found the perfect director to bring T'Challa's story to life."

The film will star Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, also known as T'Challa, prince of the fictional African nation of Wakanda.

Rumours of Marvel wanting to rope in Coogler for their Black Panther film first surfaced in December 2015. The studio officially announced about the signing on 11 January on its website.

"I was definitely one of this kids that had a comic-book collection," Coogler told Entertainment Weekly in October. "I was in the comic-book store quite a bit. So those types of films are etched into me because I have a familiarity with them. ... When a filmmaker brings them an idea that's deeply personal to him, that's when those [big] movies work," he added.

Marvel's Black Panther is slated to release on 16 February 2018. Boseman will debut as the character in Marvel's forthcoming movie Captain America: Civil War which releases on 6 May 2016.